His debut release, The Crater EP, is part
piano rock, part literate indie-folk, and
part renegade showtune, all thanks to a
mongrel musical upbringing. Ian was raised
in New England towns made up of trees and
radio static, virtually isolated from rock
and pop music. He attended music school
in the near-eastern Midwest, where his dedication
to classical studies waned with the discovery
of music school dropouts who were rock stars.
Long hours of practice gave way to listening
to Tori Amos and Ben Folds Five albums.
He could never bring himself to care very
much about Schubert again and quit music
school.
It was several years before Ian went back
to the keyboard. In college, he immersed
himself in the highly-practical fields of
postmodernism, queer theory, and student
organizations with catchy acronyms. This
track of study resulted in a move to Boston
and a string of jobs at admirable but dysfunctional
non-profits, each one filled with co-workers
who swore that if somebody wrote a book/movie/TV
show about this place, gosh, no one would
believe it! In lieu of these blockbuster
ideas, Ian used his lunch breaks to write
songs, which he occasionally performed at
a piano bar near Sam Adams's grave. Ian
could never bring himself to care very much
about jobs at non-profits again.
Ian returned to the Midwest again in 2007,
this time to Chicago, to record and produce
The Crater EP. After its 2008 release,
Ian began performing as a solo artist at
local music landmarks like Schubas and Uncommon
Ground, using loop pedals and synthesizers
to augment the usual boy-on-piano routine.
He also joined the ranks of the local orchestral-pop
sextet Canasta,
which has been called "one of Chicago's
best pop bands" by the Chicago Reader
and "primed for a considerable breakthrough"
by National Public Radio's "World Café."
Together, the two projects keep Ian on stage
frequently throughout the region. He is
currently working on Canasta's sophomore
release and his own full-length solo album.
For show dates, side projects,
and bedtime stories, subscribe to the
mailing list (above) or visit the
Damper Pedal blog, proudly putting a
postmodern/queer theory spin on your favorite
media since 2006.
For booking, press, or other inquiries,
contact Ian directly at:
ian@ianwilsonmusic.com
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